This is part of a series on the History of Norfolk
57-513: Gayton Road railway station was a station in Norfolk , located close to King's Lynn on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway . The station opened on 1 July 1887. It was closed on 2 March 1959. The station platforms remain intact as of May 2021. 52°45′03″N 0°28′16″E / 52.7507°N 0.4711°E / 52.7507; 0.4711 This article about a railway station in
114-517: A Gross Domestic Product of £ 9,319 million, which represents 1.5% of England's economy and 1.25% of the United Kingdom's economy. The GDP per head was £11,825, compared to £13,635 for East Anglia, £12,845 for England and £12,438 for the United Kingdom. In 1999–2000 the county had an unemployment rate of 5.6%, compared to 5.8% for England and 6.0% for the UK. Data from 2017 provided a useful update on
171-567: A saffron grower. Over 20% of employment in the county is in the agricultural and food industries. Well-known companies in Norfolk are Aviva (formerly Norwich Union ), Colman's (part of Unilever ), Lotus Cars and Bernard Matthews Farms . The Construction Industry Training Board is based on the former airfield of RAF Bircham Newton . Brewer Greene King, food producer Cranswick and feed supplier ForFarmers [ nl ] were seeing growth in 2016–2017. A local enterprise partnership
228-597: A fifth generation crabman, who sells Cromer Crabs to eateries such as M Restaurants and the Blueprint Café. The problem that he has found is attracting young people to this small industry which calls for working many hours per week during the season. Lobster trapping also continued in North Norfolk, around Sheringham and Cromer , for example. Norfolk's low-lying land and easily eroded cliffs, many of which are composed of chalk and clay, make it vulnerable to weathering by
285-597: A large scale. By the 5th century the Angles had established control of the region and later became the "north folk" and the "south folk"; hence "Norfolk" and " Suffolk ". Norfolk, Suffolk and several adjacent areas became the kingdom of East Anglia (one of the heptarchy ), which later merged with Mercia and then with Wessex . The influence of the early English settlers can be seen in the many place names ending in "-ham", "-ingham" and "-ton". Endings such as "-by" and "-thorpe" are also fairly common, indicating Danish toponyms: in
342-451: A yeoman farmer, who was joined by recruits from Norwich and the surrounding countryside. His group numbered some 16,000 by the time the rebels stormed Norwich on 29 July 1549 and took the city. Kett's rebellion ended on 27 August when the rebels were defeated by an army under the leadership of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland at the Battle of Dussindale. Some 3,000 rebels were killed. Kett
399-460: Is about this time that the peoples of Britain first began to call themselves Britons. From around 350 BC we find the start of burials as worship or offerings to the gods. The first written records of Britain were produced by a Greek man called Pytheas of Massilia (Marseilles) who sailed completely around the coast of Britain between 330 and 320 BC. It is here that we learn of the Cornish tin trade with
456-532: Is administered by Norfolk County Council, which is the top tier local government authority, based at County Hall in Norwich. For details of the authority click on the link Norfolk County Council . Below Norfolk County Council the county is divided into seven second tier district councils: Breckland District , Broadland District , Great Yarmouth Borough , King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough , North Norfolk District , Norwich City and South Norfolk District . Below
513-596: Is controlled by the Labour Party and North Norfolk District by the Liberal Democrats . Norfolk County Council has been under Conservative control since 2017. There have been two periods when the council has not been run by the Conservative Party, both when no party had overall control, these were 1993–2001 and 2013–2017. For the full County Council election results for 2017 and previous elections click on
570-570: Is part of the Fens , an extremely flat former marsh. The centre of the county is gently undulating lowland; its northern coast is an area of outstanding natural beauty , and in the south is part of Thetford Forest . In the east are the Broads , a network of rivers and lakes which extend into Suffolk. The area is protected by the Broads Authority and has similar status to a national park . The geology of
627-492: Is served by these local newspapers: Before 2011, Norfolk had a completely comprehensive state education or "maintained" system managed by Norfolk County Council , with secondary school age from 11 to 16 or in some schools with sixth forms , 18 years old. Since then, a number of schools formerly in the "maintained" system have left it to become academies , or members of academy groups. Others have become free schools . Both academies and free schools are still publicly funded by
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#1732851847710684-448: Is the city of Norwich . The county has an area of 2,074 sq mi (5,370 km ) and a population of 859,400. It is largely rural with few large towns: after Norwich (147,895), the largest settlements are King's Lynn (42,800) in the north-west, Great Yarmouth (38,693) in the east, and Thetford (24,340) in the south. For local government purposes Norfolk is a non-metropolitan county with seven districts. The west of Norfolk
741-627: The Bronze Age to the Iron Age and is believed to have been coming to Britain from Europe. No hull remains were recovered, however the cargo found so far consisted of 259 Copper ingots, 27 tin ingots, 3 gold bracelets several slingshots and a bronze leaf sword which in those days was an extremely valuable cargo. Although Bronze Age production was still under way when the Iron Age arrived in Britain around 600 BC
798-468: The Conservative Party win the 2010 general election , they would reverse the decision. Following the 2010 general election , Eric Pickles was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 12 May 2010 in a Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government . According to press reports, he instructed his department to take urgent steps to reverse the decision and maintain
855-497: The East of England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Norfolk Norfolk ( / ˈ n ɔːr f ə k / NOR -fək ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia . It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and east, Cambridgeshire to the west, and Suffolk to the south. The largest settlement
912-509: The High Court , and on 21 June 2010 the court ( Mr. Justice Ouseley , judge) ruled it unlawful, and revoked it. The city has therefore failed to attain unitary status, and the two-tier arrangement of County and District Councils (with Norwich City Council counted among the latter) remains as of 2017. Norfolk's county town and only city is Norwich , one of the largest settlements in England during
969-664: The Iceni had a wide reaching trade with other parts of Britain as well as the European continent prior to the attempted invasion in 55 BC. It is estimated that there may have been as many as 10 large boat trade journeys every week from the east coast. Norfolk people would have exported and imported items from Celtic countries including Spain and France and the Mediterranean. By 55 BC the Roman Empire stretched from its western borders just across
1026-475: The Iceni who inhabited what is now Norfolk . They initially were not part of the territory under direct Roman control having voluntarily allied themselves to Rome after Claudius ' conquest in AD 43. The Iceni guarded their independence and revolted in AD 47 when the governor Publius Ostorius Scapula threatened to disarm them. Prasutagus lived a long life of conspicuous wealth and, in hope of preserving his line, made
1083-593: The Norman era . Norwich is home to the University of East Anglia , and is the county's main business and culture centre. Other principal towns include the port town of King's Lynn and the seaside resort and Broads gateway town of Great Yarmouth . Roman Norfolk Roman Norfolk began after the first contact by Julius Caesar in his expeditions of 55 and 54 BC and the eventual invasion of England by Emperor Claudius in 43 AD. After this century of co-operation, during which
1140-648: The Roman emperor co-heir to his kingdom along with his wife Boudica and their two daughters. Unfortunately for Boudica and the Iceni normal Roman practice was to incorporate a client state into the Roman Empire upon the client king's death. That plus the Roman Law which only allowed male heirs to inherit power sealed the fate of both the Iceni and Norfolk. When Prasutagus died the Romans moved in to take power and seize their assets. Boudica
1197-841: The Tacolneston TV transmitter. However, northwestern parts of Norfolk including King's Lynn , Hunstanton and Wells-next-the-Sea are covered by BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire , broadcasting from Hull , and ITV Yorkshire , which broadcast from Leeds . The area receives its television signals from the Belmont TV transmitter. BBC Local Radio for the county is served by BBC Radio Norfolk . County-wide commercial radio stations are Heart East , Greatest Hits Radio East , Amber Radio , and Kiss . Community based stations are Future Radio (serving Norwich), Harbour Radio (for Great Yarmouth ), KL1 Radio (covering North West Norfolk ) and Poppyland Community Radio (serving North Norfolk ). Norfolk
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#17328518477101254-481: The 2017 General Election the 2015 result was repeated. In the 2024 General Election, Norfolk became the only county in the United Kingdom to be represented by MPs from five different parties. In October 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government produced a Local Government White Paper inviting councils to submit proposals for unitary restructuring. In January 2007 Norwich submitted its proposal, but this
1311-712: The 9th century the region again came under attack, this time from Danes who killed the king, Edmund the Martyr . Several place names around the Fenland area contain Celtic elements; this has been taken by some scholars to represent a possibly significant concentration of Britons in the area. In the centuries before the Norman Conquest the wetlands of the east of the county began to be converted to farmland, and settlements grew in these areas. Migration into East Anglia must have been high: by
1368-646: The Boundary Committee recommended a single unitary authority covering all of Norfolk, including Norwich. However, on 10 February 2010, it was announced that, contrary to the December 2009 recommendation of the Boundary Committee, Norwich would be given separate unitary status. The proposed change was strongly resisted, principally by Norfolk County Council and the Conservative opposition in Parliament. Reacting to
1425-635: The Department of Education but are not with county council management. In many of the rural areas, there is no nearby sixth form, and so sixth form colleges are found in larger towns. There are twelve private , or private schools, including Gresham's School in Holt in the north of the county, Thetford Grammar School in Thetford , which is Britain's fifth oldest extant school , Langley School in Loddon , and several in
1482-580: The English Channel in Gaul all the way to Artaxata in the east which is now called Artashat , Armenia near to the Mount Ararat in far east Turkey (level with the eastern Iranian border). The empire encompassed the whole of the Mediterranean spreading as far north as Scandinavia to Africa and Egypt in the south. After the Romans conquered Britain in 43 AD forts and roads were constructed around Norfolk as
1539-511: The Mediterranean and he also says that Britons were "peacable but formidable in war" as well as describing horse drawn chariots which the Britons used in battle. By 200 BC the two metals were still being worked alongside and it is from this time we find some of the most interesting pieces. Gold coins made in Gaul and other parts of France around 100 BC have been found and coin production started in Britain around 70–80 BC. The people of Norfolk and
1596-520: The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce made this comment: "At a time when Norfolk firms face steep up-front costs, the apprenticeship system is in crisis, roads are being allowed to crumble, mobile phone and broadband 'not-spots' are multiplying, it's obvious that the key to improved productivity and competitiveness lies in getting the basics right". The solution was seen as a need for the UK government to provide "a far stronger domestic economic agenda ... to fix
1653-466: The Roman client states held power, the infighting and other troubles led to the Roman invasion in 43 AD. The Iceni were in power in Norfolk during that period from 55 BC to 43 AD and further problems between them led to eventual war between Boudica and the invading Romans. A shipwreck was discovered in 2010 off the coast of south Devon which is dated to around 900 BC just before time of the transition from
1710-408: The Roman army became established. After a minor rebellion by the Iceni in 47 AD, king Prasutagus was allowed to rule independently as a client king . On his death in 60 AD Roman rule was imposed on the territory and his widow Boudicca led a rebellion in which the towns of Colchester ( Camulodunum ), London ( Londinium ) and St. Albans ( Verulamium ) were sacked. Prasutagus was the king of
1767-555: The announcement, Norfolk County Council issued a statement that it would seek leave to challenge the decision in the courts. A letter was leaked to the local media in which the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities and Local Government noted that the decision did not meet all the criteria and that the risk of it "being successfully challenged in judicial review proceedings is very high". The Shadow Local Government and Planning Minister, Bob Neill , stated that should
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1824-527: The area to the Romans. During the Roman era roads and ports were constructed throughout the area and farming was widespread. Situated on the east coast, the homelands of the Iceni were vulnerable to attacks from continental Europe and other parts of Britain, and forts were built to defend against raids by the Saxons and the Picts . A period of depopulation, which may have been due to these threats, seems to have followed
1881-400: The change to Iron implements soon came. The Celts arrived in around 400 BC and brought with them the first Iron Age tools for farming. These tools and other implements such as axes allowed more efficient methods of cutting and ploughing and so heavier soils could be turned allowing agriculture to spread. This influx of Celts brought significant changes to the religious practices as well. It
1938-591: The city centre, next to the River Wensum . The City College Norwich and the College of West Anglia are colleges covering Norwich and King's Lynn as well as Norfolk as a whole. Easton & Otley College , 7 mi (11 km) west of Norwich, provides agriculture-based courses for the county, parts of Suffolk , and nationally. The University of Suffolk also runs higher education courses in Norfolk, from multiple locations including Great Yarmouth College . Norfolk
1995-463: The city of Norwich, including Norwich School and Norwich High School for Girls . The King's Lynn district has the largest school population. Norfolk is also home to Wymondham College , the UK's largest remaining state boarding school . The University of East Anglia is located on the outskirts of Norwich, and Norwich University of the Arts is based in seven buildings in and around St George's Street in
2052-495: The county includes clay and chalk deposits, which make its coast susceptible to erosion. There is evidence of Prehistoric settlement in Norfolk. In the Roman era the region was home to the Iceni , whose leader Boudica led a major revolt in AD60. The Angles settled the area in the fifth century, and it became part of the Kingdom of East Anglia . During the later Middle Ages the county
2109-500: The county's economy. The median hourly gross pay was £12.17 and the median weekly pay was £496.80; on a per year basis, the median gross income was £25,458. The employment rate among persons aged 16 to 64 was 74.2% while the unemployment rate was 4.6%. The Norfolk economy was "treading water with manufacturing sales and recruitment remaining static in the first quarter of the year" according to research published in April 2018. A spokesperson for
2166-542: The departure of the Romans. Soon afterward, Germanic peoples from the North Sea area settled in the region. Though they became known as Angles , they were likely not affiliated to any tribe in particular at the time of their migration. It is thought that the settlement here was early (possibly beginning at the start of the fifth century, thereby preceding the alleged date of Hengist and Horsa 's arrival in Kent) and that it occurred on
2223-650: The fundamentals needed for business to thrive here..." In 2017, tourism was adding £3.25 billion to the economy per year and supported some 65,000 jobs, being the fifth most important employment in Norfolk. The visitor economy had increased in value by more than £500 million since 2012. Important business sectors also include energy (oil, gas and renewables), advanced engineering and manufacturing, and food and farming. Much of Norfolk's fairly flat and fertile land has been drained for use as arable land . The principal arable crops are sugar beet , wheat, barley (for brewing) and oil seed rape . The county also boasts
2280-474: The greatest concentration in the world. The economy was in decline by the time of the Black Death , which dramatically reduced the population in 1349. Kett's Rebellion occurred in Norfolk during the reign of Edward VI , largely in response to the enclosure of land by landlords, leaving peasants with nowhere to graze their animals, and to the general abuses of power by the nobility. It was led by Robert Kett ,
2337-837: The growth of the Royal Air Force and the influx of the American USAAF 8th Air Force which operated from many Norfolk airfields . The local British Army regiments included the Royal Norfolk Regiment (now the Royal Anglian Regiment ) and the Norfolk Yeomanry . During the Second World War agriculture rapidly intensified, and it has remained very intensive since, with the establishment of large fields for growing cereals and oilseed rape . In 1998 Norfolk had
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2394-547: The impacts on the environment of various realignment options. The draft report of their research was leaked to the press, who created great anxiety by reporting that Natural England plan to abandon a large section of the Norfolk Broads, villages and farmland to the sea to save the rest of the Norfolk coastline from the impact of any adverse climate change . The county is covered by BBC East and ITV Anglia , which both broadcast from Norwich. Television signals are received from
2451-563: The link Norfolk County Council elections . The county is divided into ten parliamentary constituencies, with Waveney Valley straddling the border with Suffolk: In the 1945 United Kingdom general election , all seats in Norfolk were won by the Labour Party and the National Liberal Party . In the 2010 General Election seven seats were held by the Conservatives and two by the Liberal Democrats . The Labour Party no longer held
2508-665: The region declined somewhat. During the Industrial Revolution Norfolk developed little industry, except in Norwich, which was a late addition to the railway network. Early military units included the Norfolk Militia . In the 20th century the county developed a role in aviation. The first development in airfields came with the First World War ; there was then a massive expansion during the Second World War with
2565-429: The sea fell during Roman times and the swampy region to the west of Norfolk slowly dried. The land was then able to be converted into fertile farmland where sheep-rearing and salt production could be established. The Saxon Shore forts were built by the Romans in the third century AD as a defence against Saxon raiders. In Norfolk the ruins of the fort built at Burgh Castle (possibly Roman Gariannonum ), guarding
2622-615: The sea. The most recent major erosion event occurred during the North Sea flood of 1953 . The low-lying section of coast between Kelling and Lowestoft Ness in Suffolk is currently managed by the British Environment Agency to protect the Broads from sea flooding. Management policy for the North Norfolk coastline is described in the "North Norfolk Shoreline Management Plan" published in 2006, but has yet to be accepted by local authorities. The Shoreline Management Plan states that
2679-443: The second tier councils the majority of the county is divided into parish and town councils, the lowest tier of local government (the only exceptions being parts of Norwich and King's Lynn urban areas). Currently the Conservative Party control five of the seven district councils: Breckland District , Broadland District , King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough , Great Yarmouth Borough and South Norfolk District while Norwich City
2736-561: The status quo in line with the Conservative Party manifesto. However, the unitary plans were supported by the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, and by Simon Wright , LibDem MP for Norwich South , who intended to lobby the party leadership to allow the changes to go ahead. The Local Government Act 2010 to reverse the unitary decision for Norwich (and Exeter and Suffolk) received Royal Assent on 16 December 2010. The disputed award of unitary status had meanwhile been referred to
2793-466: The stretch of coast will be protected for at least another 50 years, but that in the event of sea level rise and post-glacial lowering of land levels in the South East, there may a need for further research to inform future management decisions, including the possibility that the sea defences may have to be realigned to a more sustainable position. Natural England have contributed some research into
2850-535: The time of the Domesday Book survey it was one of the most densely populated parts of the British Isles . During the high and late Middle Ages the county developed arable agriculture and woollen industries. Norfolk's prosperity at that time is evident from the county's large number of medieval churches: out of an original total of over one thousand some 659 have survived, more than in any other county in Britain and
2907-458: The urban constituencies they once held in Norwich North and Great Yarmouth, leaving them with no MP's in the whole of East Anglia ; the former Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke was a high level casualty of that election. In the 2015 General Election seven seats were won by the Conservative Party , with Labour winning Norwich South and the Liberal Democrats winning North Norfolk. In
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#17328518477102964-506: Was being established by business leaders to help grow jobs across Norfolk and Suffolk. They secured an enterprise zone to help grow businesses in the energy sector, and established the two counties as a centre for growing services and products for the green economy . To help local industry in Norwich, the local council offered a wireless internet service, but this was subsequently withdrawn as funding had ceased. The fishery business still continued in 2018, with individuals such as John Lee,
3021-628: Was captured, held in the Tower of London, tried for treason, and hanged from the walls of Norwich Castle. By the late 16th century Norwich had grown to become the second-largest city in England, but over one-third of its population died in the plague epidemic of 1579, and in 1665 the Great Plague again killed around one-third of the population. During the English Civil War Norfolk was largely Parliamentarian . The economy and agriculture of
3078-619: Was flogged, her daughters were raped and the Romans took property and land to pay for the debt that Prasutagus had built up as, upon his death, his subjects had become liable for the outstanding monies. Following the defeat of Boudicca, the Romans imposed their own order on the region, with an administrative centre established at Venta Icenorum (near the present Caistor St. Edmund ), a smaller town being built at Brampton and other settlements developed at river crossings or road junctions. The mostly rural population lived in scattered homesteads, villages or more affluent Roman villas . The level of
3135-558: Was rejected in December 2007 as it did not meet the criteria for acceptance. In February 2008, the Boundary Committee for England (from 1 April 2010 incorporated in the Local Government Boundary Commission for England ) was asked to consider alternative proposals for the whole or part of Norfolk, including whether Norwich should become a unitary authority , separate from Norfolk County Council. In December 2009,
3192-402: Was to become Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times (there were Palaeolithic settlers as early as 950,000 years ago), with camps along the higher land in the west, where flints could be quarried. A Brittonic tribe, the Iceni , emerged in the 1st century BC . The Iceni revolted against the Roman invasion in AD 47, and again in 60 led by Boudica . The crushing of the second rebellion opened
3249-517: Was very prosperous and heavily involved in the wool trade ; this allowed the construction of many large churches . In 1549 Norfolk was the scene of Kett's Rebellion , which unsuccessfully protested the enclosure of land. The county was not heavily industrialised during the Industrial Revolution , and Norwich lost its status as one of England's largest cities. The contemporary economy is largely based on agriculture and tourism. The area that
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